Anti-Slip Rubber Floor Mats - More Information

Benefits of Anti-Slip Floor Mats

Non-slip floor mats are a type of matting designed to prevent slip accidents from occurring. Commonly found in wet rooms and showers, variations of non-slip rubber matting are also becoming increasingly popular in the workplace, especially in industrial environments.

Did you know that slips, trip and falls are the most common cause of accidents in the workplace? They accounted for 29% of all workplace accidents in the UK during 2016/17 which is estimated to affect over 110,000 people. Many of these accidents can be avoided by using appropriate non-slip rubber floor mats, protecting the health of employees and reducing absenteeism.

Non-slip floor mattimg from First Mats provides multiple benefits to your and your workforce including slip reduction, fatigue reduction and cleaner floors. Whilst in an office or home a simple entrance mat will suffice, the non-slip floor mats found in industrial environments are specially designed for the tougher, constant usage they will need to endure.

Slips can cause serious injuries with significant financial impacts for the business. A worker who suffers an injury will, on average, take 9 days away from work to recover. This contributes to the total financial cost from workplace injuries of £5.3 billion to the economy (2015/16.)

Who should use Anti-Slip Floor Mats?

People rarely slip on clean, dry floors so when it comes to slip prevention guidelines, the advice is normally to try to keep floors free of water and other contaminants. In some environments, this is simply unavoidable due to the nature of the work being done in that area.

For example, when working with metals, lathes and CNC machines produce liquid coolants (aka machine suds) which tend to spray and spill onto the surrounding floors even when guards are in place. Some of the areas most at risk of slips are;

Machine workshops

Commercial Kitchens

Production lines where oils and other fluids are used

Manual car wash facilities

Bars and Restaurants

Floors that are prone to becoming damp or wet

What are the biggest causes of slips in the workplace?

In many commercial environments, such as offices and canteens, slips are usually due to floors being wet and unclean. For industrial environments, there are many hazards that can cause slips in the workplace including;

Wet floors, due to spillages or weather conditions

Oil and grease from the production process

Oils from leaking and damaged machinery

Cross contamination – Where a worker may have moved from an oil covered floor to a different area.

In all these cases, non-slip matting will help by providing extra grip underfoot whilst also isolating many of the contaminants within the mat area.

You can find out more about what is defined as a slip hazard in our video;

Why purchase Non-Slip Matting from First Mats?

At First Mats, we strive to help managers improve the health and safety in their workplaces to benefit the well-being of all workers. Therefore, we only ever supply non-slip matting that is of premium quality and conforms to current legislation.

Our industrial matting is tested to internationally recognised standards and is sourced only from established and reputable manufacturers. With us, you can be assured of matting that meets the needs of your workforce within a budget that suits the business. That is why First Mats is the First Choice for many organisations, both large and small, all over the UK.

Quality Approved Matting

One of the largest ranges in Europe

Non-slip matting for all budgets

Free samples available on request

Expert Advice

Fast delivery times

Site visits from representatives

Additional benefits of Non-Slip Floor Matting

Using non-slip floor matting can offer many benefits to employers and employees alike. Depending on the type of matting used and the environment, these benefits include;

Lower Insurance Premiums – A safer work environment with fewer accidents will pay lower costs for insurance premiums due to making fewer claims.

Reduced costs – The knock-on effects of workplace injuries create extra unwanted costs. Management time to correctly log and investigate the injury, combined with either a loss in productivity or replacing the injured worker temporarily all have significant cost implications.

Anti-Fatigue – Most of our mats have a dual purpose, in that they offer both excellent slip resistance and anti-fatigue properties at the same time, improving comfort and safety for workers. For more information about our anti-fatigue matting, please visit our page here.

Swarf Scraping – Many of our non-slip mats are designed in a ring-mat style with a series of holes or “wells” which scrape swarf from shoes, trapping it within the mat area. Other styles include textured non-slip matting such as our Assured Scraper mat which is an excellent choice in food production areas where produce can fall on to floors and become stuck on feet.

Staff Well-being – If your workers are protected, it will boost their morale as well as their safety.

Productivity – Workers who are kept safe and feel protected will be able to work more efficiently than those in less favourable conditions.

What is non-slip matting made from?

Our non-slip matting is predominantly made from Rubber. This is because rubber naturally offers excellent traction underfoot in various conditions and surfaces. There are, however, different grades of rubber used for non-slip matting and choosing the right one depends on the environment they will be used in.

Natural Rubber – For most environments, a standard natural rubber non-slip mat like our “DrainAway Rubber Non-Slip Mat” will be suitable as it will remain grippy even on wet floors. It is not recommended for use with oil as it will shorten the lifespan of the material.

Nitrile – Matting made from nitrile rubber is resistant to oil, hence why this material is commonly used for rubber seals and O rings. This makes Nitrile mats, such as our “Oil Safe Interlocking Mat”, the ideal choice for machining workshops and assembly areas where oils, greases and other industrial fluids are likely to come in to contact with the mat.

PVC Plastic – Similar to anti-slip matting that you would find in swimming pools and leisure centres, this type of material is exceptionally hard-wearing and is also resistant to oils and other fluids. See our FlexiDiamond mat for more details.

What does the law say about Non-Slip Matting?

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSW Act) states that employers are required to ensure the health and safety of all employees and anyone who may be affected by their work (including site visitors and customers) so far as is reasonably practicable, including taking steps to control slip and trip risks.

Similarly, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to assess risks (including slip and trip risks) and, where necessary, take action to address them.

And more specifically, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require floors to be suitable, in good condition and free from obstructions. People should be able to move around safely.

Whilst the law may not specifically mention matting (or any other product for that matter) they are one of the most effective ways to protect your workforce from slips in the high-risk areas outlined.

Risk Assessments to prevent Slips and Trips

It is the responsibility of you, the employer, to manage health and safety in your own workplace. One of the best ways to do this is by conducting a regular risk assessment. It is highly likely that many steps will have already been taken to improve workplace safety, but a risk assessment can highlight hazards that you were not already aware of, especially when it comes to slip accidents;

Talk to your workers – Instead of producing masses of paperwork, a more effective approach is to simply ask workers what their concerns are. They can help to highlight slip risks you may not have been aware of where non-slip floor mats will be beneficial to them.

Checklist – Use the hazard spotting checklist provided by the Health and Safety Executive to identify areas for risk. This document covers all areas of the building and provides suggested actions including where non-slip matting can be used. (http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ck4.pdf)

Our mats are tested according to international standards ASTM C1028-89 and DIN-E-51130, 51097 which determine the slip resistance by measuring the force required to cause slippage of a load across the matting.

Non-Slip Floor Mat Colours

At First Mats, you can find slip resistant matting in a variety of colours. In most industrial environments, black or dark grey will be the colour of choice, but we also stock various non-slip mats with yellow borders for additional safety.

For other environments, we also offer coloured options including; Blue, Red and Green which can be either for hygiene requirements as per a food production facility, or simply a choice of organisational preference. For example, a factory may be broken down in to colour coded production cells.

Red Non-Slip matting used in a production cell

How big are non-slip floor mats?

The short answer to this question is, how big would you like them? When browsing our website you will find a diverse range of floor mats which are all available in different styles, colours and sizes.

For Individuals – Our smallest standard size is 60cm x 90cm and is ideal for a single worker at a stationary machine or workbench.

For Multiple Workers – For larger machines or work areas with more than one user, we offer various larger mats in widths from 80cm up to 120cm along with optional interlocking versions that can be joined to surround a machine or enable a mat to be placed around a corner.

Large non-slip matting in a warehouse

For Production Lines – Several of our non-slip floor mats can be purchased in large fixed-length rolls, such as our best-selling Pinnacle Mat, which can be specified in rolls of 18.3m long. You can also choose from one of our custom sized mats too, simply select from a standard roll width (usually 60cm, 90cm or 120cm) and then enter any length you need.

For Larger Floors – We stock several interlocking floor mat designs, which provide the ultimate flexibility for covering floors of unusual shapes and sizes. These enable the user to connect a series of slip resistant matting tiles together to create a single, larger mat, in the size they need.

What other types of Slip Resistant Matting does First Mats supply?

Whilst this collection is focused on industrial environments, First Mats does also stock matting for other applications.

Floor Grip & Safety – For indoor and outdoor walkways, stair cases and paths, we stock a wide range of grit tapes and sheets including stair treads and nosing

Work Benches and Trays – If you already have non-slip floor mats but need something for your work tops and tool trays, then you will find our Surface-Protect work bench liner to be of interest. It is a light-duty PVC Foam mat that can be used in various dry and wet areas away from floors.

Commercial Kitchens – As one of the high-risk areas for slip hazards, non-slip floor mats are a crucial piece of equipment in kitchens and food production facilities. That is why we stock a range of non-slip matting designed specifically for these areas, with anti-bacterial and grease resistant properties.

Which slip resistant mat should I be using?

Our non-slip matting is versatile and can be used in many different scenarios, but we have selected a few recommended mats based on their speciality, superior qualities and excellent value for money.

If you have any doubts about the best mat for your requirements, please contact us for expert advice and assistance.

How to clean non-slip floor mats

Your matting should be cleaned regularly for maximum performance. In most cases, our non-slip floor mats can be cleaned by simply hosing them down with clean water or a mild degreaser. Pressure washers can also be used to remove more stubborn dirt, swarf and other contaminants.

Summary

When reviewing your floor safety, it is important to remember that there are many factors involved including lighting, footwear and cleanliness, but non-slip floor mats are an excellent piece of equipment that can dramatically improve safety around hazardous floors. If you are unsure of which matting would be most suitable, you can contact our knowledgeable team for guidance and more information about any of our products.

Make First Mats your First Choice for industrial safety floor matting.